2024 Fresno County

Poetry Out Loud Contest

Announcing Fresno County’s 2024 Poetry Out Loud Winners!

“With the support of my teachers and coaches, Poetry Out Loud has taught me how great writers’ words convey emotions we can all feel and make our own. Reciting poetry is like playing music, and I feel proud to be an instrument to these artists whose works I so deeply admire and relate to.”

-Fresno County Champion, Clare Nadores

FRESNO ARTS COUNCIL ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF POETRY OUT LOUD CONTEST

FRESNO, CALIFORNIA — Fresno Arts Council announces the winners of the Fresno County contest of Poetry Out Loud®. The student winners are: Fresno County Champion, Clare Nadores; runner up, Phoenix Simpson; and third place, Grace Wiseman.

Poetry Out Loud—presented in partnership with the California Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation—is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.3 million students across the country have participated in Poetry Out Loud. On Tuesday, February 6, more than 20 high school students participated in the Poetry Out Loud contest at Fresno City Hall in City Council Chambers, thanks to the support of Fresno City Councilmember, Tyler Maxwell (District 4).

At Fresno City Hall, students recited works selected from an anthology of more than 1,200 poems. Local poets, Juan Luis Guzmán, Brenna Womer, Loan Le, and Joseph Rios served as judges. Judges evaluated student performances on criteria including voice and articulation, evidence of understanding, and accuracy. The National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation have created free, standards-based curriculum materials to support Poetry Out Loud including a teacher’s guide, lesson plans, an online anthology, posters, and video and audio on the art of recitation. These resources are available for free at PoetryOutLoud.org.

Clare Nadores, from San Joaquin Memorial High School, will advance to the California State Poetry Out Loud contest on March 17, 2024.“With the support of my teachers and coaches," Nadores said, "Poetry Out Loud has taught me how great writers’ words convey emotions we can all feel and make our own. Reciting poetry is like playing music, and I feel proud to be an instrument to these artists whose works I so deeply admire and relate to.”

The California champion will receive $200 and will advance to the national finals next spring where $50,000 in awards and school/organizational stipends will be distributed. The representing school or organization of the state champion will receive $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. The first runner-up in each state will receive $100, with $200 for their school or organization. The Poetry Foundation provides and administers all aspects of the monetary prizes awarded and travel arrangements for the Poetry Out Loud National Finals.

To register your school or student for Fresno County’s Poetry Out Loud 2025, please reach out to Andrea Mele at andrea@fresnoartscouncil.org. To learn more about the California Poetry Out Loud contest, visit https://www.capoetryoutloud.org.

Clare Nadores of San Joaquin Memorial High School is the 2024 Fresno County Poetry Out Loud Champion. Clare will represent Fresno County at State Finals in Sacramento on March 17, 2024.